“I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20 The Amplified Bible)
One of our mentors and academic instructors at our church’s tutoring and mentoring program is a former elementary teacher, trained school administrator, and now a faculty member at a local university. To help me with mentoring activities where we start our one-on-one tutoring sessions, focusing on reading, writing, and arithmetic, she loaned me a couple of books that she felt might be useful at our “Community Table” where we focus on character development and address a variety of issues that children face today. One of the books consisted of several tolerance tales for early learners. Why did she bring them when she could have been focusing on administrative church work as the Head Trustee, or allocating her “free time” to furthering the development of future teachers, or making use of some deserved “me time” the local YMCA earlier than later? Why did she become a welcomed addition to our tutoring staff this year? I guess her choosing to help falls under the category of “Be yourself.”
Tuesday, at the tutoring and mentoring session, I used a story from one of the tolerance tales to stimulate discussion among the children and spark some behavioral change. The story, “The Stonecutter,” was a multicultural tale about being yourself. I read as the children listened attentively. Afterwards, when I asked a series of questions, one of the youngsters summed it up after the other children had expressed their thoughts, “The story is teaching us to be yourself.” So, we talked about being yourself regardless of whether you were from the eastside or the westside, North America or another continent, and regardless of size, color, race, and more. Another student, advanced for her age scholastically, pointed out that if we had to choose between good and bad, we should just be ourselves and choose good. Another highly academic performer, a smart second grader who has been more forward in bringing God into our discussions lately said, “Choose God over the devil! Be yourself!” Her comment opened the door for me to impress on them that each of them had been fearfully and wonderfully made, just as the Psalmist declared.
Still at the “Community Table,” we spent time talking about how “being yourself” will and should change as they grow up and advance and seek upward mobility in life. We talked about being progressively better with age, and increasingly responsible with the acquisition of knowledge. Yes, “being yourself” changes as we experience maturing, positive change.
Enough about the staff, the students, and our stirring mentoring discussion. Let’s bring you into the picture. Wherever you are, physically, economically, geographically, be yourself. Being yourself means being a member of a holy nation and a royal priesthood. Being yourself means showing the world how the similitudes of salt and light work effectively as Jesus’ intended. Being yourself means you are a born-again believer, a disciple, and a child of God. Being yourself means that you are striving for perfection and achieving excellence on this Christian journey. Being yourself means that you recognize that it is not just you, but the Christ who lives in you. Being yourself means you will walk by faith, please God, and never let go of His unchanging hand. Being yourself means loving the brothers and the sister because you have passed from death to life.
Look, I know it’s Saturday and as always, you have some Saturday stuff to do. Well, get it done, by all means. But everywhere you go and in everything you do, be yourself, the self that makes heaven rejoice. And each day forward, be the new you, the better you, the progressively holier you! One more thing, be yourself, a saint, tomorrow morning. That means you will show up in the assembly of the saints. Right? Be blessed!
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-14 The Message Bible)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King